ESS 1 - The Earth and earth minerals as we know them today have developed over a long period of time, through continual change processes.
ESS 1 (5-8) INQ+POC -1 - Use Geological evidence provided to support the idea that the Earths crust/lithosphere is composed of plates that move 1a- Identifying and describing the layers of the earth.
Context of Lesson:
This lesson will be the first of the Unit and will be reaching back to some of the knowledge that the students should have already learned in their early grades. I will be reviewing with the students the different layers of the Earth. ( Inner Core, Outer Core, Mantle, Crust) Also I will be reviewing the concept of density with the students and doing a short demonstration on how density effects the earth. Then the students will be breaking off into smaller groups where they will be doing a jigsaw lesson. This simply means that each group of students will be given a specific layer of the earth and they will be writing down a description of their layer as well as an example of a food that they can use to show the different layers of the earth. The students will then break off into new groups which will contain at least one student who is now an "expert" on their layer, for each layer of the earth. The students will be allowed to teach each other what they learned about their specific layer. At the end of the class the students will be coming back together and I will lead a quick discussion reviewing what the students have learned.
Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
DOK Level 2 Skills and Concepts- Students will be Explaining each layer of the earth based on the material in their book.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Identifying and describing the layers of the earth is a topic which the students should have covered already in their earlier middle school courses. This lesson will be used as a review and preview to the topic of the changing earth. The students should already know the concept of density as well, but this lesson will give the students another way of looking at density.
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Advanced Student- The advanced student will be dissecting the knowledge more in depth than the rest of the class and will be able to act as the primary source of knowledge when the students break off into their second groups. The advanced student may also be able to find misconceptions about the layers when the other students are presenting their material to the second groups. It allows the advanced students to feel as if they are the all knowing source of knowledge opposed to the teacher.
Lower Level Student- This students will get a chance to learn because when they are filling out their note sheet they will have to get at least three points. This student will force the other students to continue to speak until they get those points down. Also when they are presenting their material the other students will be expecting them to teach them a good amount of material because they will need it to complete their own note sheets.
Accommodations and modifications
If students have a lesser reading level then the Inclusion teacher may help the students with finding information with in the science text book. This teacher can give the students little hints as to where the knowledge is in the textbook and will allow the lower level reader to narrow down their search for productive material.
Environmental factors
Students will be placed in groups of four which will each have a specific layer of the earth. Then after the students become "masters" of this layer they will be each placed in a group containing at least one member from a group that learned about each layer of the earth. The groups will be picked by the teacher, and then it will be the teachers jobs to separate the groups of students into the second groups to be sure that each group has a member that covered all three of the layers of the earth.
Materials
Science Textbook, Handouts on the layers of the Earth, Student note sheet
The objectives for this lesson will be for the students to be able to describe the layers of the earth as well as show how the earth has evolved to its layout today. This will be done by the students teaching the other students about the layers which they have become a "master" on.
Students will use their note sheets as evidence that they have properly described the layers of the Earth.
Also one of the goals of this lesson is to get the students more comfortable working in groups with their peers. Working in groups will be a large part of science class as well as life outside of high school or college, so it is important that the students are allowed to work in groups in multiple instances throughout the year.
Instruction:
Opening:
To open this lesson I will have a picture of the earth's layers drawn on the board and I will ask the students to label them for me.
Next I will be giving the students a brief lesson on the key terms involving the earths layers, as well as a quick review on density.
I will be doing a demonstration involving salt water which will have food coloring in it and then a cup of tap water. I will pour the salt water into the cup of tap water, and the salt water will sink to the bottom because it is more dense. This concept will be linked to the different densities of the layers of the earth.
After the demonstration and the mini lesson on the terms that are key concepts for this chapter, the students will be breaking off into groups that I will be choosing. Then the concept of a jigsaw will be explained to the students.
Engagement:
The teacher will pass out the note sheet which they want the notes from the layer they are in charge of teaching on, as well as what they will be learning when they break into the second groups.
The activity for this class will be a "jigsaw" on the different layers of the earth. The students will be broken up into groups of 4 and will be assigned one of the layers of the earth.
They will have 10 minutes to research this layer of the Earth using their science textbooks and the articles which I passed out to the class which will contain facts about each layer.
They will be given a few key points which I want them to make sure that they take note of when they are describing their layer. After the students have these ten minutes to research their layer of the earth, they will each be breaking up into another set of groups.
Each new group will contain one member who has learned about each layer of the earth. (inner core, outer core,mantle, crust) It will be the students job to teach each other about the specific layer which they have taken notes on while they were in their previous groups.
The teacher will be walking around the room monitoring the discussion, clearing up any misconceptions which the students have, and making sure that the students are staying on task. This part of the class should take about 15 minutes for the students to conclude their sharing with the second group. Each student will have 5 minutes to teach or discuss their specific layer to the group.
The students will be using the note sheet which was provided to them as an area to record what they have learned from the other students teachings.
Closure:
After the students have worked in their two groups the class will move back their seats into their normal positions and the teacher lead a brief discussion to close out the lesson.
The teacher will be asking the students questions about the layers of the earth, such as what layer is the most dense, and what layer is the thinnest layer of the earth.
The teacher should also ask the students broad questions about the earth to have the students explain what they have learned that day from their peers.
In the last 3 minutes of the class the students will be filling out their exit slips. The question of the day will be give at least one new fact that you learned today about a layer of the earth which which one of your peers taught you in your second group. ( Exit slips are just a neat way to end the class to cut back on down time and allow the students to reflect on the class or have the students answer a question which pertained to that days lesson)
The students will be handing in their exit slips as well as their note sheets at the end of the class.
Assessment:
This first assignment to open up the unit will just be part of the students class participation grade. It will be ongoing assessment because the teacher will be walking around the room keeping the students on task and monitoring their discussions.
The students Note sheet will also be collected as a classwork grade.
The students will also be asked a few lower level questions about the layers of the earth on the Unit test.
Lesson Plan
Link to The Changing Earth Unit
Next Lesson
Lesson Title: Introduction to the Earths Layers
State Standards:
ESS 1 - The Earth and earth minerals as we know them today have developed over a long period of time, through continual change processes.ESS 1 (5-8) INQ+POC -1 - Use Geological evidence provided to support the idea that the Earths crust/lithosphere is composed of plates that move
1a- Identifying and describing the layers of the earth.
Context of Lesson:
This lesson will be the first of the Unit and will be reaching back to some of the knowledge that the students should have already learned in their early grades. I will be reviewing with the students the different layers of the Earth. ( Inner Core, Outer Core, Mantle, Crust) Also I will be reviewing the concept of density with the students and doing a short demonstration on how density effects the earth. Then the students will be breaking off into smaller groups where they will be doing a jigsaw lesson. This simply means that each group of students will be given a specific layer of the earth and they will be writing down a description of their layer as well as an example of a food that they can use to show the different layers of the earth. The students will then break off into new groups which will contain at least one student who is now an "expert" on their layer, for each layer of the earth. The students will be allowed to teach each other what they learned about their specific layer. At the end of the class the students will be coming back together and I will lead a quick discussion reviewing what the students have learned.Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
DOK Level 2 Skills and Concepts- Students will be Explaining each layer of the earth based on the material in their book.Prerequisite Knowledge
Identifying and describing the layers of the earth is a topic which the students should have covered already in their earlier middle school courses. This lesson will be used as a review and preview to the topic of the changing earth. The students should already know the concept of density as well, but this lesson will give the students another way of looking at density.Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Advanced Student- The advanced student will be dissecting the knowledge more in depth than the rest of the class and will be able to act as the primary source of knowledge when the students break off into their second groups. The advanced student may also be able to find misconceptions about the layers when the other students are presenting their material to the second groups. It allows the advanced students to feel as if they are the all knowing source of knowledge opposed to the teacher.Lower Level Student- This students will get a chance to learn because when they are filling out their note sheet they will have to get at least three points. This student will force the other students to continue to speak until they get those points down. Also when they are presenting their material the other students will be expecting them to teach them a good amount of material because they will need it to complete their own note sheets.
Accommodations and modifications
If students have a lesser reading level then the Inclusion teacher may help the students with finding information with in the science text book. This teacher can give the students little hints as to where the knowledge is in the textbook and will allow the lower level reader to narrow down their search for productive material.Environmental factors
Students will be placed in groups of four which will each have a specific layer of the earth. Then after the students become "masters" of this layer they will be each placed in a group containing at least one member from a group that learned about each layer of the earth. The groups will be picked by the teacher, and then it will be the teachers jobs to separate the groups of students into the second groups to be sure that each group has a member that covered all three of the layers of the earth.Materials
Science Textbook, Handouts on the layers of the Earth, Student note sheetObjectives:
Instruction:
Opening:
Engagement:
Closure:
Assessment:
Reflections
(only done after lesson is enacted)